EGHS Students Turn Their Workouts Into Word Problems

Science comes to life for students when they connect what they’re learning with real-world experiences.

Some sweaty East Greenwich High School students are making those connections right now, thanks to a 2016 EGEF grant that brought Athos Wearable Tech into their classroom.

The Athos units consist of a core, compression top and compression shorts which monitor what’s happening inside the wearer’s muscles when she or he is exercising.

“We’ve been experimenting with data that is calculated during and after an individual workout,” explained EGHS Science teacher James Mire. “The data includes an ‘Athos Score’, which provides an overall synopsis of the workout based upon time and intensity as determined by electrical muscular involvement. It also provides right vs. left analysis of the muscular activity (in percentage) to determine form imperfections or side-strength imbalances.”

One student, who wore Athos Cropped-Leggings during her one-hour ballet class, said “it was fascinating to see how my muscles were working while I did each exercise.”

“The Athos Wearable Tech units are ideal for the Honors Anatomy and Human Biology classes because they integrate the muscular, cardiovascular and respiratory systems and how they function under different stresses,” Mr. Mire added. “The garments use electrical sensors to determine ‘how much’ of the muscle is being utilized during the activity. It also identifies which muscles are being used to ensure the correct muscle group is being targeted. Ultimately, we will be able to analyze the heart rate associated with activity intensity to determine anaerobic thresholds and the resulting oxygen debt.”

Mire said his students have been “intrigued” with the possibility of analyzing their personal data over a longer period of time. Some students have started using the Athos gear in conjunction with GoPro cameras and device applications to figure out how they can get the most out of their personal workouts – which can improve their performance as student athletes.

“So far, in discussing the results with students, we have concluded that the activities need to be similar in type, length, and intensity in order to compare the Athos scores over time,” said Mire. “Students will also determine the influence of muscular activity and intensity on heart rate to determine whether an activity is aerobic or anaerobic.”